Monday, July 15, 1996

Last week, a coalition of more than fifty groups gathered at the National Press Club to call on congressional leaders to stop pressuring the Federal Communications Commission to rush ahead with a multi-billion dollar giveaway of the broadcast spectrum to broadcasters who wish to go digital. The groups were represented by the Media Access Project, the Center for Media Education and People for the American Way. They say the giveaway is worth at least 40 million dollars and should be auctioned. Before we talk about the spectrum war. We turn to Kathryn Montgomery, President of the Center for Media education who lays out what 40 billion dollars could pay for.

Tomorrow the IRS will try once again to auction the home and land of private citizens who are war tax resistors. They have refused to pay federal taxes for decades. The IRS tried to sell the home of Elizabeth Gravalos and Arthur Harvey last month but there were no offers to buy it. It is the first time in seven years the IRS will try to sell the home of war tax resisters. The Maine home is in the small town of Hartford. Claire Holman reports.

While polls indicate Americans think the military budget is decreasing, in fact, it is increasing. In addition to moral objections people like Elizabeth Gravalos and Arthur Harvey have about it, the economics of the budget is also a major issue. William Hartung is the director the Arms Trade Resource Center of the World Policy Institute. He recently released a report called "Welfare for Weapons Dealers, The Hidden Costs of the Arms Trade." Continue with William Hartung, World Policy Institute

Just how much do we know about the military budget. Last week there was an interesting piece in the Washington Post called "The Budget You Can’t See." We’re joined by John Pike with the Federation of American Scientists to shed some light on the Pentagon’s Black Budget.

Amy Goodman with Denis Moynihan — What price would you pay not to kill another human being? At what point would you commit the offenses allegedly perpetrated by Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who was charged Wednesday with desertion and “misbehavior before an enemy?”